Medford deserves thanks, praise for emergency drill

To dwell on how an active shooter crisis may play out in one of our own schools is nobody’s idea of a pleasant professional development opportunity, but practicing responses to such an emergency has undoubtedly become the responsibility of our schools.

The Medford School District and Medford Police Department’s decision to hold a multi-agency active shooter/mass casualty drill on June 22 will likely save precious seconds and lives should such a scenario ever play out locally.

Superintendent Bret Champion and Executive Director of Facilities Ron Havniear, who pulled all the pieces together, deserve praise for their forward-thinking in orchestrating such a massive and well-run training exercise.

In addition to nearly 500 participants, I along with 40 others, including local school personnel, healthcare professionals, school resource officers/security and board members, were able to observe the drill.

I was incredibly impressed by the massive amount of coordination of various agencies and attention to detail, all in an effort to make sure we will be prepared should the unthinkable happen here.

It was truly amazing to see our community’s first responders, educators and other local leaders come together for something so important and I believe the lessons learned will be invaluable for all of us for years to come.

On behalf of the entire PTS Rising community, thank you Medford SD and all the agencies involved in the preparation and implementation of this event!

Brent Barry, superintendent, Phoenix-Talent School District

Insurance costs could price us out of our homes

As a resident of Talent, I witnessed firsthand the ongoing devastation a major ecological event can do. I say “ongoing,” as three years past the reverberations of the fire are still echoing.

While I did not lose my home in the fire, I am paying for those who did.

Last year, I received my insurance bill, with its 22.5% increase. I shrugged it off as concurrent with today’s money-grubbing ways. But this year, the increase is 37.1%, meaning a total increase of almost 59.6% in two years.

At this rate, I will be priced out of my home in a few years by rising insurance costs. Contrary tax increases can be expected and planned for, as taxes are regulated.

Initially we were told being denoted as a high-risk area would not increase our insurance rates. Seems that wasn’t true.

Apparently, the insurance companies are unfettered and do not gird themselves against the unexpected, the core purpose of insurance; instead, they pass it on to the customer.

Since I must have insurance, I would prefer it well regulated and the consumer protected. Is that not one of the primary responsibilities of elected officials, to take care of their constituents?

Lynne Likens / Talent

Changes to voting and threats to democracy

The “Other View” by Rick Gray Jr. about “parallel voting” was interesting but a little difficult to follow and it raised some questions, such as who would be drawing the three districts he mentioned.

Ranked choice voting, like they have in Alaska, could also help reduce the dominance of extremists in the primaries, and it’s a little more straightforward.

Mr. Gray’s claim, however, that Democrats are responsible for the walkouts by Republican legislators and the Greater Idaho movement is way off the mark.

The Oregon Republican Party is infamous for declaring the Jan. 6 insurrection a “false flag operation” intended to discredit Trump and his supporters (as if they needed any help).

Our own Jackson County Republicans declared Biden an “illegitimate president.”

These are people who don’t even believe in the democratic process. The only thing that might cure their discontent is to declare them winners regardless of election results, but hopefully that won’t be happening in our lifetime.

Meanwhile, those who would rather live in Idaho are free to go there.

Michael Steely / Medford

Reader wants ‘news,’ not ‘features’

I want to support local journalism, I really do. If “no news is good news” you are proving the point. I don’t find the many “feature articles” worthwhile.

I hope you find a business model that works for us both.

Walter Thorp / Medford